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George Clooney Tackles Nazi Art Thieves in Next Project

Exclusive! The Oscar winner talks about his next movie

By Marc Malkin Jan 09, 2012 3:30 AMTags
George ClooneyClint Brewer / Splash News

George Clooney has his next project lined up.

He's going to be directing again...

The Oscar winner tells me he's adapting a book called The Monuments Men for the big screen.

Based on a true story, The Monuments Men follows a group of art experts shortly after World War II who are on the hunt for art stolen by the Nazis.

"We're working on the screenplay right now," Clooney told me last night at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. "I'm really interested in telling the story of how these very unlikely heroes went miles deep into a mine and found all the art and returned it."

The actor is expected to also star in the big-budget flick, according to The Wrap.

Clooney also said Hitler will not appear in the film. "Who wants to see Hitler?" he said. "And who really wants to play Hitler?"

Clooney was at the film fest to pick up The Chairman's Award. Girlfriend Stacy Keibler was by his side.

"You just try to make movies that people like and then maybe once every couple of years, they like them and the next couple of years they don't," Clooney said. "You sort of vacillate between having a good year and not. So this is nice. This is a fun year."

And I'll have more from Clooney and Keilber later on. Make sure to come back here for the scoop.

PHOTOS: 2012 Palm Springs International Film Festival